The present invention relates to a new tape cassette, and particularly to a technique of enlarging openings of extraction portions, provided in a tape cassette, for extracting a tape-like recording medium.
In tape drive apparatuses of a type in which recording/reproducing is performed by using a rotary head drum, a tape-like recording medium is extracted forwardly from a tape cassette and is wound around the rotary head drum. Accordingly, the arrangement of tape extraction guides provided on the tape drive apparatus side is limited to the sizes of openings of tape extraction portions of the tape cassette.
FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a related art tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is mounted in a tape drive apparatus and the tape is loaded therein.
In the tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, a supply side reel xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d and a winding side reel xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d around which a magnetic tape xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d is wound are rotatably contained in a cassette shell xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d.
A large recess xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d, called a xe2x80x9cmouth portionxe2x80x9d, is formed in a front portion of the cassette shell xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d in such a manner as to be opened forwardly, upwardly, and downwardly.
Both side portions of the mouth portion xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d of the cassette shell xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d, which are opened forwardly, are taken as tape extraction portions xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d each of which is formed into a lying hollowed square cylinder.
In the non-loading state of the tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d in the tape drive apparatus, the magnetic tape xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d is extracted outwardly from the openings at the front surfaces of the tape extraction portions xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d and is stretched between the tape extraction portions xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d in such a manner as to cross the front surface of the mouth portion xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d.
When a tape loading command is given to the tape drive apparatus, the tape loading is performed by extracting the magnetic tape xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d outwardly by tape guides xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d, tape extraction guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d, and pinch rollers xe2x80x9cjxe2x80x9d and simultaneously moving a rotary head drum xe2x80x9ckxe2x80x9d in such a manner as to enter the mouth portion xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d (see FIG. 28).
The above-described related art tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, however, has a problem that since the openings of the tape extraction portions xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d of the cassette shell xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d are relatively narrow, the arrangement of the tape extraction guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d is strictly limited thereto, with a result that the positional accuracy of the tape extraction guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d must be increased. In particular, such a problem becomes significant along with miniaturization of the tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d.
To be more specific, a triangular region xe2x80x9ctxe2x80x9d (shown by a pear-skin pattern in the figure), which is formed between an extension line connecting an extracted portion of the magnetic tape xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d wound around the tape reel xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d at maximum to an outer opening edge of the tape extraction portion xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d and an extension line connecting an extracted portion of the magnetic tape xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d wound around the tape reel xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d at minimum to an outer opening edge of the tape extraction portion xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d, is defined as a xe2x80x9cpossible arrangement regionxe2x80x9d in which each of the tape guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d can be arranged. In the related art tape cassette xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, since such possible arrangement regions xe2x80x9ctxe2x80x9d are narrow, the degree of freedom in design of the arrangement of the tape extraction guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d is small.
Further, since the possible arrangement regions xe2x80x9ctxe2x80x9d are narrow, there arises a problem that the positional accuracy of the tape extraction guides xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d provided in the tape drive apparatus must be increased.
An object of the present invention is to provide a tape cassette, which is capable of enlarging possible arrangement regions of tape extraction guides of a tape drive apparatus by increasing lateral widths of tape extraction portions of a cassette shell, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design of the tape extraction guides and loosening the arrangement accuracy of the tape extraction guides.
To achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cassette including: a cassette shell in which tape reels around which a tape-like recording medium is wound are contained; a mouth portion provided in a front portion of said cassette shell in such a manner as to be opened forwardly, upwardly, and downwardly, said mouth portion being positioned such that part of said tape-like recording medium crosses the front end of said mouth portion; and a front lid, provided on said cassette shell, for covering the front side of said tape-like recording medium; wherein both side portions of said mouth portion of said cassette shell are taken as tape extraction portions opened forwardly; and each of the inner surfaces of outer side surface front portions of said cassette shell, which forms each of the inner surfaces of outer side walls of said tape extraction portions, is formed into a taper surface which becomes wider outwardly as nearing the front end.
With this configuration, since the lateral widths of the openings of the tape extraction portions of the tape cassette can be increased, the possible arrangement regions of the tape extraction guides can be enlarged. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in design of the tape extraction guides and to loosen the arrangement accuracy of the tape extraction guides.
Further, since the arrangement positions of the tape extraction guides can be disposed outwardly more than those of tape extraction portions provided in the related art tape drive apparatus, it is possible to make the ratio of the size of a rotary head drum to the size of the tape cassette larger than that adopted in the related art tape drive apparatus and to miniaturize the tape cassette.